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3.4.8.2. Number of decisions on first instance applications

In 2023, the output of first instance decision-making authorities across EU+ countries remained stable (+5%), while applications rose by 18%.

For the second successive year, Germany continued to issue the most decisions among EU+ countries (around 219,000, accounting for one-third of the EU+ total). It was followed at a distance by France (133,000) and Spain (90,000). These three countries jointly issued two-thirds of all first instance decisions. But trends differed: while Germany recorded the largest absolute increase in decision-making among EU+ countries compared to 2022 (+21,000), the opposite occurred in Spain (-13,000). In the meantime, decision-making remained stable in France. 

At somewhat lower levels, many decisions were also issued in: Greece (40,000), Austria (37,000), Belgium and Italy (26,000 each), the Netherlands (20,000), Switzerland (17,000) and Cyprus (15,000). In the latter two, decision-making rose notably in relative terms, as it did in Bulgaria, Estonia, Ireland and Norway (roughly twice as many decisions as in 2022 in all) as well as in Denmark (up by more than two-thirds).